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John Reischman has an ear for melody and a confidence that the mandolin will take him anywhere he needs to go. And it does just that on his first solo instrumental album in thirteen years, Walk Along John. One of the most acclaimed mandolinists of his generation he is best known for fronting the band TheJaybirds with whom he’s toured across Canada and the United States for many years.

Left on in the background, the notes rush past in an impressive stream of song. Listened to carefully, the complexity, strong turns of phrase, and exuberance leave the mind spinning and the soul shouting, “All hail the mandolin!” Reischman’s experienced hands blast old songs into the 21st century (“Little Maggie” and “Salt River”) while his own compositions, the majority of the album, demonstrate their own staying power with a keen attention to tradition.

The album rises and falls with faster paced tracks (“Itzbin Reel” and “The Deadly Fox”) and slower, more contemplative ones (“Walk Along John to Kansas” and “Anisa’s Lullaby”) but ultimately sticks closest to the quick ones. For me, the stand out track on the album is “A Prairie Jewel.” With deceptive simplicity it gets beneath the skin, demanding to be heard over and over again. I am having no trouble giving into that demand.